Engineered Bacteriophage Therapeutics: Rationale, Challenges and Future.

The current problems with increasing bacterial resistance to antibacterial therapies, resulting in a growing frequency of incurable bacterial infections, necessitates the acceleration of studies on antibacterials of a new generation that could offer an alternative to antibiotics or support their action. Bacteriophages (phages) can kill antibiotic-sensitive as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and thus are a major subject of such studies. Their efficacy in curing bacterial infections has been demonstrated in in vivo experiments and in the clinic.

Co-Transplantation of Bone Marrow-MSCs and Myogenic Stem/Progenitor Cells from Adult Donors Improves Muscle Function of Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder associated with a progressive deficiency of dystrophin that leads to skeletal muscle degeneration. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a co-transplantation of two stem/progenitor cell populations, namely bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and skeletal muscle-derived stem/progenitor cells (SM-SPCs), directly into the dystrophic muscle can improve the skeletal muscle function of DMD patients. Three patients diagnosed with DMD, confirmed by the dystrophin gene mutation, were enrolled into a study approved by the local Bioethics Committee (no.

Inhibitory Effects of Bacteriophage Preparations on Adenoviral Replication.

Background/aims: Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses of bacteria. Escherichia coli phage (T4) can potentially interfere with adsorption of HAdV-5 to cellular integrins by its KGD motif, while staphylococcal A5/80 phage does not possess this structure. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of T4 and A5/80 phage preparations on type 5 human adenovirus (HAdV-5) DNA synthesis and the expression of HAdV-5 genes.

Epitopes identified in GAPDH from Clostridium difficile recognized as common antigens with potential autoimmunizing properties.

Clostridium difficile (CD) infections are a growing threat due to the strain resistance to antibiotic treatment and the emergence of hypervirulent strains. One solution to this problem is the search for new vaccine antigens, preferably surface-localized that will be recognized by antibodies at an early stage of colonization. The purpose of the study was to assess the usefulness of novel immunoreactive surface proteins (epitopes) as potential vaccine antigens.

The role of microRNA-5196 in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by tissue fibrosis and immune abnormalities. Recent evidence suggests that activated circulating monocytes from patients with SSc play an important role in early stages of SSc pathogenesis due to enhanced expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1), IL-8 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction. However, the exact factors that contribute to chronic inflammation and subsequently fibrosis progression are still unknown.

Lipid profile disturbances in antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode non-affective psychosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Dyslipidaemia is one of the most prevalent metabolic disturbances observed in schizophrenia patients and has been largely attributed to the effects of poor lifestyle habits and adverse effects of antipsychotic treatment. However, less is known whether patients with first-episode non-affective psychosis (FENP) present subthreshold indices of dyslipidaemia. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis whether subclinical lipid profile alterations occur already in antipsychotic-naïve FENP patients.

Design of small molecule inhibitors of type III secretion system ATPase EscN from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is a human pathogen using type III secretion system for delivery of proteins directly into the human host. The system contains a single ATPase, EscN, which is essential for uncoupling of proteins from their complexes with chaperones before the delivery.

Immunoreactive Proteins of ssp. CCM 7952 and ssp. CCDM 372 Identified by Gnotobiotic Mono-Colonized Mice Sera, Immune Rabbit Sera and Non-immune Human Sera.

The show great diversity in the cell surface architecture which may influence the physicochemical properties of the bacterial cell and strain specific properties. The immunomodulatory role of bifidobacteria has been extensively studied, however studies on the immunoreactivity of their protein molecules are very limited. Here, we compared six different methods of protein isolation and purification and we report identification of immunogenic and immunoreactive protein of two human ssp.

Identification of Lactobacillus proteins with different recognition patterns between immune rabbit sera and nonimmune mice or human sera.

Background: The genus Lactobacillus belongs to a large heterogeneous group of low G + C Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria, which are frequently used as probiotics. The health-beneficial effects, in particular the immunomodulation effect, of probiotics depend on the strain and dose used. Strain variations may be related to diversity of the cell surface architecture of bacteria and the ability to express specific antigens or secrete compounds.

Lactoferrin accelerates reconstitution of the humoral and cellular immune response during chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression and bone marrow transplant in mice.

Experimental evidence from previous studies supports the conclusion that orally administered lactoferrin (LF) restores the immune response in mice treated with a sublethal dose of cyclophosphamide (CP). The aim of this study was to elucidate potential benefit of LF in mice undergoing chemotherapy with busulfan (BU) and CP, followed by intravenous (i.v.

Lethality in LPS-induced endotoxemia in C3H/HeCr mice is associated with prevalence of proinflammatory cytokines: lack of protective action of lactoferrin.

C3H/HeCr mice are more susceptible to infection compared with other strains. Lactoferrin (LF), a protein involved in innate defense, was shown to protect mice against lethal endotoxemia. In this investigation we attempt to explain the cause of increased susceptibility of C3H/HeCr mice to LPS and lack of protective LF action in these mice.

Bacteriophages provide regulatory signals in mitogen-induced murine splenocyte proliferation.

The aim of this investigation was to reveal the regulatory properties of bacteriophage preparations in a model of mitogen-induced splenocyte proliferation in mice. We showed that sepharose 4B-purified preparations of the Staphylococcus aureus phage A20/R exhibited costimulatory activity in splenocyte proliferation induced by suboptimal (0.25 microg/ml) concentrations of ConA.